1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lightweight, rigid segment carrying knitting elements for a knitting machine.
2. Description of Related Art
Care must be taken to properly support knitting elements such as knock-over sinker plates, stitch comb plates, pile sinker plates, slider plates, thread comb plates, and other plate-like elements.
Conventionally the rear ends of these plates are embedded in a block of metal or synthetic material which, for its part, is attached to the bar. Herein it is already known to provide holes in the plates. The threading of a rod therethrough, which protrudes beyond the segment serves to brace the plates during the casting step (see DE PS 12 074 541). The disadvantage herein is the relatively large mass which limits the working speed of the warp knitting machine. Furthermore, cooling after the casting step leads to imprecision in the relative position of the plates.
It is also known (DE PS 813 741) to connect the forward ends of the plates of a segment by flanging a sheet metal strip of a light metal and to lay the rear ends into grooves formed in the bar and to press them against the bar by a tightening screw and cover plate. The thus formed segments are somewhat unstable before they are fixed to the bar and this makes attachment to the bar more difficult.
In the segment mentioned above and known from DE 72 26 832.7U, the pins have substantial mass and deform the plates on both sides.
Accordingly advances are accomplished over the prior art on a segment carrying knitting element for knitting machines having a number of similar plates which (a) are held and separated from each other by a predetermined distance by means of a connecting arrangement, and (b) are attachable to a bar by means of an attaching arrangement, wherein the connecting arrangement comprises at least one pin which penetrates holes in the plates and which at its circumference is connected with the plates.